it's the holiday season...

Greetings, friends!

It's been so long, both in person and by blog. I have much to cram in here to update you on our Texan holiday festivities! Maybe you're all snuggled up in bed on this, the night before Christmas, waiting for sleep to come by scanning social media on your phone, despite what healthcare professionals say about your brain getting all wired up by the stimulation of technology. Ah well, stay awake a little longer with me!

We've had a whirlwind of a few weeks since Thanksgiving--but then, isn't that always the way? We did a lot of fun things, like enter a Decorate-Your-Patio contest at our apartment complex (we won 2nd place...highway robbery..and yes, I'm bitter...), checked out Six Flags, an antiques auction, SeaWorld (don't judge me), the Alamo, the Riverwalk at Christmas time--and a lot of that was over the course of just one weekend when my good friend Laura was here. I'm still tired thinking about it.

Lastly, there's some big news for those of you who know my story over the past few years, but I'll save that for the very end so you have to subject yourself to all the pictures first.

Let's start with our first auction! Travis and I have never been to an auction before, but in the middle of December we found ourselves in a room with antique dealers who were getting mint-condition mid-century modern furniture for a STEAL. It was maddening...until we got our very own steal on a GORGEOUS kitchen table. God's ways of providing for us continues to astound us in this journey.

 It's a tiger oak drop-leaf table with storage in the middle. So unique, sturdy, and gorgeous!

And with that, we no longer have to sit on the couch to eat.

Although we still like to from time to time...because we really like our couch, too.

Then some shenanigans at Six Flags in Fiesta, TX. It's so small, we like to call it "Three Flags." They had a neat little Christmas show called "The Majesty of Christmas." It was a little cheesy, granted, but it celebrated the birth of Jesus (you know, the actual reason for Christmas), so we appreciated that. And it incorporated live sheep, donkeys, and a camel, so we were pretty happy.

 

  

DAFFY!!!!!!!!! Much of my childhood was spent with this duck.

So, Travis heard about this patio contest at our complex, and I was all, "Eh." But he was really excited and had a plan, so off we went to the Dollar Tree for supplies. The vision? A giant snowman built out of paper. I added some more conceptual art, staging our furniture outside to look like it was Santa's little hang out in the North Pole. If you look closely, you can even see "marshmallows" in our mugs of "hot chocolate." I mean, COME ON!

The master designer, hard at work.

 Frosty, complete with 3D nose and arms!

 I MEAN, COME ON! THAT TOOK A LOT OF WORK, PEOPLE!

Anyway, that conceptual stuff probably lost us first place. (By the way, first place was a patio with a lot of colored lights. That's it. I'm not bitter.)

One of the definite highlights of this month was an impromptu visit from our friend, Laura. She's an avid cyclist, so she had the brilliant idea of renting bikes and exploring the city. I got to see so much more of San Antonio than I ever would have in one day. It really was spectacular.

 I'll be honest--riding bikes in the middle of a busy downtown area is a wee bit stressful.

But I got the hang of it eventually.

After exploring the city, I took Laura to one of our favorite spots--La Gloria.

Just so you have an idea of what the typical fare looks like in San Antonio. This is la glorious.

 

The best part of that day, and I don't think Laura will mind this, is when we came across a full-bred bull terrier puppy.

 

Guys, you have no idea what this did for my heart. Our dog, Elvis, was a bull terrier, and he made me a dog person, which is pretty wild considering my deep abiding love for cats. Elvis passed away about a month before we moved here, so every time I see a bull terrier, I get a little choked up for Travis' sake, who adored Elvis, and a bit for my own, too. Spending ten minutes with this puppy had me floating for the rest of the day.

 

Now, a question--have you ever celebrated Christmas with aquatic animals? No? I'm just going to go ahead and say, add that to your bucket list. Unless you stand against SeaWorld. In which case, again, please don't judge me.

 new favorite pose.

Sorry, but seeing a few gigantic Orca whales leap 10 stories out of the air
during "Joy to the World" is really something to behold.

 

We also met another celebrity:

 

 MENCHIE!!!!!!!
I KNOW HIM, I KNOW HIM!!!!!

Alright, enough tomfoolery. Let's get on to the big news.

Guys...I'm leading worship again. 

In answer to some big prayers, we found a church home in Texas. And with that church home has come an opportunity to step back into leading worship and serving on a team. For those who know my story, can we just raise our hands in awe of a God Who brings things full circle? I'm leading part of the Christmas Eve service tonight, and I am SO excited. 

Before we left, my good friend Lori gave me a bracelet off of her own wrist that says, "With God all things are possible," and she made me promise to wear it whenever I stepped back into worship. So here I am, making good on that.

I will wear it proudly tonight, in serious awe of all that God has done in my heart and in our lives over the past 18 months. He is truly to be praised.

Well, thanks for taking some time with me today. Merry Christmas, dear ones. I hope you have a lovely day celebrating the One Who gave Himself for us. My heart beats with yours tomorrow.

We love you all!
-Sarah